New ministers

By SIMON ERORO and PETER KORUGL

ACTING Prime Minister Sam Abal was in the last 48 hours planning on moves to consolidate and stabilise the Government after sacking two of the senior ministers.
Last night he was considering ministerial candidates to replace Don Polye in Foreign Affairs and Immigration and William Duma in Petroleum and Energy.
Close government sources indicated that Mr Abal might keep the Foreign Ministry and give away his Works portfolio to another National Alliance MP. Mr Abal was a career foreign relations officer until he became a politician and served as Foreign Minister for about six years before he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Works.
Regarding the Petroleum Ministry, it is likely to be given back to the United Resources Party because of the coalition government understanding. The party has two factions – one with Mr Duma and the other with Southern Highlands Governor Anderson Agiru, according to sources.
Mr Abal is likely to offer the portfolio to whoever that wrestled the URP leadership from Mr Duma, but sources said if the leadership remained with Mr Duma, the acting PM could consider offering the ministry to Eastern Highlands Governor Malcolm Kela-Smith who is neither supporting the Duma nor Agiru faction. Kela-Smith is a URP member.
“By removing Mr Duma from Cabinet, Mr Abal has moved the URP leadership dispute out of his Cabinet room, so that they can deal with it outside,” the source said.
The URP, which is the second biggest coalition partner in Government, was meeting last night to plan its own strategies to move forward after the sacking of Mr Duma. “We are still meeting, I will let you know the outcome when we are finished,” a senior minister and member of URP said last night. The URP started a series of meetings since Monday and continued yesterday.

Mr Duma, a two-term MP, is representing the Hagen Central Open electorate in the Western Highlands Province. As Petroleum and Energy Minister, he has been credited with bringing on stream the two PNG LNG project and the Inter-Oil-led Elk-Antelope gas commercialisation project. He was, however, sacked because of too many problems associated with the PNG LNG landownership issues.
Mr Duma a lawyer turned politician said: “I am the leader of the second largest party in the current coalition government and the Acting Prime Minister’s decision is also a breach of the Warangoi accord which all coalition party leaders signed to form this government which continues to show solidarity.”
When Mr Polye was contacted last night, he said: “I have no comment to make at this stage,” an indication he was still consulting with and talking with his regional Highlands bloc members and executives.
Twelve of the 13 NA Highlands bloc MPs including Mr Abal have signed a resolution to work together under Abal and Mr Polye is expected to be forced to handover the deputy party leadership to Mr Abal.
The non-parliamentary executives from the region were expected to arrive in Port Moresby this week to help the party forge a way forward and work together.
Reactions from the Highlands were mixed with many NA followers fearing possible deprecations awaiting Mr Abal, while others said the Acting PM had the powers to do what he did.
“Very bad timing, I’d say. Sam Abal is committing political suicide. Who is he listening too, I wonder?” a NA executive said from Mt Hagen.
Another observer said Sir Michael Somare’s ultimate objective was to propel his son, Arthur Somare to succeed him as PM come what may. 
“However, whatever methodology he applied always hit some snags. These snag factors were something called the “Highlands NA bloc” and the “Don Polye” factors. So the master tactician and craftsman resorted to the aged old trickery and divisive method of ‘divide and rule’ tactics,” he said. 
The observer said Sir Michael “deliberately” overlooked Don Polye and instead appointed Don Polye’s “countryman and brother” Samuel Abal as deputy PM when he (Somare) was suspended following the guilty verdict from the Commission of Inquiry into his misconduct in office charges.  


source: http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20110608/news01.htm